Southern Colorado law enforcement officials are sending a warning to Thanksgiving revelers: drive sober or face the consequences. Typically a time for friends, food, and fun, Thanksgiving should not be marred by the devastating effects of drunk driving.
Preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Transportation reveals that Thanksgiving holds the unfortunate distinction of having the second-highest average of roadway fatalities in Colorado during holiday periods from 2020 to 2023. What’s more, when it comes to impaired driving-related fatalities, Thanksgiving ranks as the third-highest during holidays within this timeframe.
As a national advocate for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Clara Shelton has witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of impaired driving.
In November 2015, an impaired driver hit the car that her brother Sam, a freshman at CU Boulder, was riding back to campus with some friends.
“He had his whole life ahead of him at the age of 18,” Shelton expressed with a mix of sadness and nostalgia. “It marked a new chapter in his life, and we were all filled with excitement for what was to come.”
He was airlifted to a hospital after suffering severe brain damage, but unfortunately, he never made a full recovery and passed away ten weeks later.
“Losing my brother in this manner was an absolute catastrophe for my family,” expressed Shelton, reflecting on the profound impact of the tragedy. “Every holiday season will forever be tinged with the absence of our loved one, a constant reminder of the void we now carry within us.”
According to state data, a total of 181 individuals have lost their lives on Colorado roads in 2024 due to impaired drivers. Shockingly, El Paso County alone accounted for 24 of these tragic deaths, making it the county with the highest number of fatalities in the entire state.
CDOT has taken measures to ensure the safety of individuals on the roads by launching its Thanksgiving holiday DUI enforcement period. Starting from Thursday, 75 law enforcement agencies in Colorado have been provided with additional resources to effectively remove impaired drivers and reduce the risk of accidents. This initiative will extend until December 4.
The Colorado Springs Police Department is one of the agencies that will be deploying additional officers on the roads, particularly on the day before Thanksgiving, which is commonly referred to as Blackout Wednesday.
According to public information officer Caitlin Ford, the impaired drivers they will pull over are considered fortunate.
According to her, those individuals who are not apprehended are likely to cause harm either to themselves or to others on the road.
According to Ford, although it may be inconvenient to rely on friends for a sober ride or costly to use rideshare services, the consequences of driving under the influence are always too severe.
According to the speaker, the consequences of reckless driving go far beyond the financial penalties and legal repercussions. “A large fine, potential jail time, court costs, costs for a lawyer, all of those things, and that doesn’t compare to the cost of your life or someone else’s life that’s out there on the road, that’s priceless,” she emphasized.